MerryHearted

Another comment on saggy skin -- even if you have some you'll still look way better than being fat. Clothing covers most of it anyway. I'm looking to find some way to affort plastic surgery when I hit goal to get rid of my tons of belly skin. Even if I can't, I have to believe wearing a size 10 pants instead of a size 6 is still a gimongous improvement over the 26/28 I was wearing before banding. :biggrin2:

LOL -- there are other things you can do to help DH/fiancee/boyfriend out while waiting that week to 10 days til you feel up to it.

Yep, I've been on plateaus before -- it's so frustrating but hang in there. Don't go too low on calories -- some people lose well on less than 1000, but most of us need a good 1000+ cals a day to lose well. I'm at 1200 and finding it perfect. Some of the things that have helped me: 1) Tracking calories (which you're doing) 2) Drinking more (I was only getting in 32-48 oz of liquids and I lose best and feel best when I'm getting 64+) 3) Dropping sugar 4) Upping my fiber intake 5) Getting in my exercise 6) Using body measurements or clothing fit instead of the scale to measure progress. So many people have said they've stayed the same weight but dropped a size when they are working out. That rarely happens to me, but it's worth a shot...

Here's a "Running Weight Loss Totals" thread to check out some stats: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f17/running-weight-loss-totals-lbters-52263/ Since my actual band date, I've lost 72 lbs. That's not counting my pre-op weight lost. I consider myself a bandster "success" even though I'm not at goal, because I never would have gotten this far without it and feel SO much better.

Why no Snacks? If you are eating only 3 meals a day, there is likely too large of a gap between two of those meals. For me, that gap is between lunch and dinner: 6-7 hrs. So I plan an afternoon snack, which is what my doc recommends. Also, once you reach your sweet spot, you are probably not going to get enough calories in with just the three meals, unless you choose high cal foods or soft foods. I guess it varies from doctor to doctor. I suppose when it comes down to it, if you are getting adequate fiber and taking a Multivitamin, fruit is not a necessary food during your weight loss phase. I prefer not to give it up, though. I'm rather fond.

Ewww! LOL. Never happened to me, but I suppose it's possible -- I've coughed up mucus before when I've had a cold. I avoid ice cold drinks these days -- they tighten my band way down.

Here in WA, you just have to sign a waiver saying that if there's an outbreak at the school for a disease your child is not immunized for, your child will not be allowed to attend until the outbreak is over. We have friends whose daughter was immunized in Russia, so she didn't get re-immunized here. The school would not accept that, so they just signed the waiver that if whooping cough ever breaks out, she'll stay home. They decided that would be better than putting her through a blood draw to prove she'd been vaccinated. If it ever becomes an issue, they can go have the blood draw done so she can go back to school. I just put my 2 yr old son through the blood draw a couple weeks ago. He's from China and you never know if the medical paperwork is accurate. Often the doc finds that the paperwork says the child has been vaccinated but titers show otherwise.

Welcome!! It IS exciting, and this is a great forum. Hope to see you around.

If your current bra is uncomfortable or you're flopping around too much. I can't even fill out an A cup even at over 200 lbs. So it's hard for me to find a good bra anywhere, sports or otherwise. Manufacturers assume if you are plus size you also have big breasts. So there are lots of great sports bras out there for overweight women with D cups & up. I'm stuck with the uniboob look in a sports bra if I don't want my boobs hanging down by my belly button.

I lost weight just fine at first by cutting portion size. You might want to just go with that unless/until you find yourself not losing weight despite exercising and having enough fill in your band. OR if you find yourself not losing because you know you are making poor food choices but are having a hard time getting it under control. Then yes, it is very helpful to read all the nutritional labels and weigh/measure your food to make sure you are not eating too many calories as well as meeting your nutritional needs (iron, Calcium, B Vitamins, Fiber, Protein, etc). Congrats on being banded -- good luck!

I'm so sorry you're running into problems. Did you get down to goal and then start having the issues that resulted in getting unfilled? Do you think you got too tight? I hope if it is slipped that the liquids will take care of it. That does work for some!

Best wishes on your surgery, SeattleSweetie!! (from another Seattle sweetie... ) Hey, I hear the highs will be in the mid-60's this week. You can sit outside and bask in the warmth of "spring in Seattle" while recovering.

LOL -- I saw the title and I thought -- why, dinner last night was fabulous, thanks! My DH makes the greatest spicy meatloaf in the universe. But my last pre-op stuff-fest was probably my trip to one of those mongolian grill places. You know, the stir-fry buffet where you load up your bowls with meat, veggies and noodles, create your own sauce, and they fry it on the big grill in front of you? I still love stir fry -- I just can't eat huge piles of it anymore. My body says, "thank heaven, relief at last!"

I'm 2.5 yrs out and loving my band. I haven't had any complications. My primary "side effect" is ... uh... constipation. But I'm fine if I up my fiber intake. I just have to make sure I'm getting it in. I eat around 1000-1200 cals per day, so I have to plan well to have a balanced diet (enough Protein, enough fiber, enough Iron, enough Calcium...). I do supplement when I need to, and always take a Multivitamin. Good luck with your insurance! I think that's really the worst part of the whole process for some people. What I love most about the band is knowing that my goal is within reach. I just need to make the appropriate food choices and exercise, and the band helps me control my portion sizes and hunger. It's amazing and wonderful.

I think the #1 response to this is "Safer". Followed by adjustable, removable and just as effective. The weight generally takes longer to come off if you have a lot to lose. 1-2 lbs a week is a safe rate of loss though. Most of us probably also know someone in person who has had the gastric bypass and either had nasty complications or gained enough weight back to be obese again. (I know both) I :frown: my band.

I'm with you -- it's crazy that they'll happily pay for all the health issues resulting from obesity but not to "cure" the source of the problem. I was so thrilled when my company changed their policy to cover it. They also cover a rather expensive physician-monitored diet & exercise program now. That amazes me. Now, if we could just get them to cover abdominoplasty and breast augmentation... :party: haha OK maybe not. "But you'd have a lot of really HOT employees" probably wouldn't work as a good argument for it, eh?

"The Rules" -- they are out and about in various forms, but this is a good page: http://www.lapbandtalk.com/f220/first-year-after-lap-band-surgery-58249/ Mostly it's the stuff you probably heard from your surgeon: Eat 3 small meals a day + 1-2 snacks. No grazing. Make nutritious food choices Eat protein first, then veggies, then starches only if you have room Don't drink with your meals or for 30 min after Avoid caloric drinks Drink 6-8 glasses of water daily Exercise for at least 30 min 3x a week Chew til there's nothing left to chew ("Chew to Goo")

I'm going to start today and then repeat the entire week 1 again next week. I tend to get plantar fasciitis when I walk or jog on a consistent basis, so I am going to take preventative steps this time and stretch/do my foot exercises from the get-go. Good luck everyone!! I'm actually quite excited about starting to run again.

Yep, walk walk walk. And I've found that Probiotics help *tremendously* for me. Gas-X did nothing. You can find probiotics at any natural foods or Vitamin store. PB8 has worked best for me, as far as gas goes. I recently switched to Pearls because they are small, but they haven't worked as well so I take PB8 when I can get it down and pearls the rest of the time. Nutrition Now PB8 Acidophilus Natrol > Digestive Health > BioBeads®

Stay on liquids for a day or two and if it's the same you need an unfill. You've been losing a pound a week and your doc says you're not losing fast enough??! Crazy. That's a perfectly good and normal weight loss rate.

It really hasn't been a problem for me. For me the key is to just not have something to drink sitting in front of me at a meal. If it's there, I'll automatically pick it up and drink. It's not a problem to occasionally sip some wine with dinner. I do. Alcohol is not conducive to weight loss, so it's good to not drink too often. The thing to watch out for with wine is that it relaxes you and you might be able to eat more than usual.

Yes, the band will be enough. It will likely take longer, but it's safer and it'll take work on your part. (although I imagine that's true for gastric bypass patients too) My goal is -159 lbs, and maybe some more after that because I won't be "thin" at 140, just "not fat". I'm well on my way, and already feel fantastic compared to before. Will it work for you? Yes, if you're willing to do the work to get there! :thumbup:

I love corn on the cob in the summer! I can't eat a whole cob anymore, not after eating my protein first. And watch the butter intake. :thumbup:

Sounds like you don't have restriction yet. Time to go back. And yes, you will still need to choose to eat healthy foods in small portions. It's just a heck of a lot easier with proper restriction. Trust me, you'll know when you're there!

Way to go LessnLess!!